How do you calibrate this spreader?

I see several responses in the Ratings & Reviews that say to check and calibrate the spreader but I can't find any detail as to how this is done. What are the calibration marks? How is the calibration adjusted?Thanks.

Check the calibration by first adjusting your micrometer setting to 6. Turn the spreader over so that you are looking at the outside of the bottom of the hopper. Use your foot to hold down the trigger. With the micrometer set at 6 and the trigger squeezed against the handle, the front edge of the projecting ridge on the shut-off bar should be aligned with the calibration line located on the 2nd or 3rd tooth from the center.

To adjust the alignment, use a small wrench to turn the black calibration screw at the lower end of the control wire leading from the micrometer rate setting barrel. Adjust the screw until the calibration line and raised ridge or front edge of the shut-off bar meet.

1. Place about a quarter bag of product in the hopper of the spreader, insuring the load is uniformly distributed across the width of the spreader.

2. Locate and sweep clean a section of driveway, sidewalk, garage floor or street to be used to spread and collect the dropped product.A seamless paved driveway or parking lot is probably the best.

3. Spread about 27 to 30 feet of product onto cleaned walk or drive, maintaining an average walking speed, and a constant value for the spreader setting.

4. measure out a length of spread material equal to 25 feet, starting about afoot or two into the spread from the begining and ending at least a foot or so from the end of the spread.

5. sweep up the 25 feet of product and place in either a graduated volume container to measure volume, or on a scale to measure weight of the product.

6. measure the width of the spread product, (say 24 in, for example, if that is the width of the spreader's drop port)

7. At 25 feet long and 2 feet wide, the spread area equals 50 sq ft.

8. If, for example, the weight of the swept up material is 4.0 pounds, the spreader is said to lay 4 lbs/50 sq. foot, or more standardly, 8 pounds per 100 sq foot ( at that setting and with that material.

9. Of course, the spread length can be longer or shorter depending on space available. The math will have to be adjusted to yield the desired volume or weight per 100 square feet

10. Sweep up the product left past the ends of the measured length, before your spouse gives you a hard time for the mess.

ALTERNATIVELY: With empty spreader, measure length spreader needs to travel to turn its wheels exactly ten or twenty whole revolutions. Fill spreader as per step 1, place spreader above a suitable catch vessel, place a mark on the drive wheel of the spreader, simultanously commence opening the spreader gate while turning and counting the revolutions of the drive wheel. Stop wheel and close gate after the 10 or 20 revolutions of the wheel are complete. Rotate the wheel as consistantly as possible and try to minimize any amount of product dropped when starting and stopping. Take the length of spreader travel needed to do the chosen number of wheel revolutions ( in feet) times the spreader port width (in feet). Divide that number into 100 sq ft, call this value X. Weigh the product collected and multiply it by X to get the weight per 100 sq ft.

Remember, the spread rate will be different for individual products for many reasons; density, uniformity of granule size, humidity, and the flow or clump properties.

what is the setting to spread 5.75 pounds per 1000 s.f.? on the drop spreader

It depends on the size and weight of the material you are spreading. Many products will give spreader settings on the package -- for products not made by us, you can also safely use the AccuGreen spreader settings.

In cases where you do not have a tested setting, you can test your estimated setting by placing that amount in the spreader and covering a matching area. So, in this case, put 5.75 pounds in the spreader and test it in a 1000 square foot area (which is 50 feet by 20 feet). We recommend a low setting, between 1/4 and 1/3 of the potential range of the spreader to start.

I need to spread 8 lbs of 13-13-13 per 1000 square feet with the Scotts Drop Spreader. What would the correct spreader settings be?

The directions on the spreader only instruct me to refer to the settings indicated on any brand of Scotts fertilizer. I had soil samples sent off to an agricultural college and was told I needed to use 8 lbs. per 1000 square feet of 13-13-13. Because I could not find a Scotts brand of this product, I am not able to determine the proper spreader settings.

Warranty or replacement part required?

I've had a Scotts classic drop spreader for about 8 years now. Love it... until this year. For whatever reason, I have to essentially open the hopper 3x more than expected to yield the expected volume of product to be delivered to the grass. This is with seed or fertilizer.

I also find that for finer things like seed, I have to actually pull the unit, rather than push it, to get the seed to come out properly.

I clean the unit after every use.

I have noticed that the main wheel that seems to drive the auger at the bottom is much tighter than it used to be, but it does spin when pushing the unit along the grass.

Here are the instructions for calibrating the spreader. Try calibrating the spreader first. If that doesn't solve the problem contact us at the following link. http://tinyurl.com/c3s4e28

1. Set micrometer to 62. Turn the spreader over so that you are looking at the outside of the bottom of the hopper.3. Squeeze the trigger with your foot.4. Locate the calibration line (small, embossed line on the bottom of the hopper the 2nd tooth from the spring in the center).5. With the micrometer set at 6 and the trigger squeezed against the handle, either the raised ridge (if present) or the front edge of the shut-off bar should be aligned with the calibration line.Note: If the hopper is missing a calibration line - using the setting of a 6 they should be able to pass a 9/64" drill bit through the opening just to the right of the center. (First opening to the right of the spring.)7. To adjust the alignment, use a small wrench to turn the black calibration screw at the lower end of the control wire leading from the micrometer.8. Adjust the screw until the calibration line and either the raised ridge (if present) or the front edge of the shut-off bar meet.

We don't have an exact spreader setting for this particular grass seed. Use this rule of thumb to determine your spreader setting: Place enough grass in the hopper to cover 1,000 square feet. Place your spreader setting on a low setting. We suggest for overseeding that you start at 9.5. Spread the material over a 50 x 20 foot area (1,000 square feet. ) If material is left over, increase your setting. If you come up short, decrease your setting. While this is not a scientific method, it will get you as close as possible to the correct coverage.

Classic Drop Spreader Hopper

I have a Classic Drop Spreader that is approx. 10 years old and the tension spring for the drop door has broken the bottom of the hopper and created a hole. This is not repairable. Can I purchase a replacement Hopper?Thank you.

What setting number on the Scotts Accugreen 3000 spreader results in a flow gate opening of 1/4 inch?

We use the numeric micrometer setting to control application rate, rather than the physical opening size of the spreader. All of our product application settings are based on the physical size of the openings in the spreader hopper and the amount of product disbursement needed. If you are wishing to calibrate this spreader feel free to contact us for further direction. 1-877-465-5160